Page 873 - war-and-peace

take part in the Austrian campaign and the reasons why he
had declined them. Though the conversation was very inco-
herent and Vera was angry at the intrusion of the masculine
element, both husband and wife felt with satisfaction that,
even if only one guest was present, their evening had begun
very well and was as like as two peas to every other evening
party with its talk, tea, and lighted candles.
Before long Boris, Berg’s old comrade, arrived. There
was a shade of condescension and patronage in his treat-
ment of Berg and Vera. After Boris came a lady with the
colonel, then the general himself, then the Rostovs, and the
party became unquestionably exactly like all other evening
parties. Berg and Vera could not repress their smiles of sat-
isfaction at the sight of all this movement in their drawing
room, at the sound of the disconnected talk, the rustling of
dresses, and the bowing and scraping. Everything was just
as everybody always has it, especially so the general, who
admired the apartment, patted Berg on the shoulder, and
with parental authority superintended the setting out of the
table for boston. The general sat down by Count Ilya Ros-
tov, who was next to himself the most important guest. The
old people sat with the old, the young with the young, and
the hostess at the tea table, on which stood exactly the same
kind of cakes in a silver cake basket as the Panins had at
their party. Everything was just as it was everywhere else.

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